The invention relates generally to an apparatus that automatically disposes of soiled pet housebreaking pads. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus that senses when a pet is using a housebreaking pad, and when the pet is finished, removes and seals the pad and the waste automatically into a repository for later disposal and replaces the soiled pad with a clean pad.
There were approximately 74.8 million pet dogs in the United States in 2008. Thirty-nine percent of all households have a dog with 36% of those households having two or more. These dogs produce a large amount of waste, with a small dog of 30 pounds producing over approximately 200 pounds of solid waste per year. Dogs urinate anywhere from several times per day up to ten times a day for puppies. Owners desire keeping their homes and apartments clean and without offensive odors, so they either “paper” train or condition their pet to eliminate outdoors. Many municipalities discourage outdoor elimination through “pooper scooper” laws. “Paper” training teaches the pet to eliminate in a specific small area of the house where housebreaking pads made from absorbent materials are placed for that purpose.
Housebreaking pads are used for tens of thousands of puppies and dogs around the country. Dog owners, especially in large cities where there may not be yards, generally prefer to “paper” train their pets. Because of work schedules, some owners may not get home to walk the dog on time, so they “paper” train the pet to use the pads to prevent the dog from eliminating indiscriminately in the house or apartment. Many apartment dwelling dogs, especially among the smaller breeds, are “paper” trained exclusively. Whether they are used for housebreaking for puppies or for “paper” training indoor dogs, who will use these pads throughout their lifetime, housebreaking pads are one of the larger expenditures for dog owners.
One major problem that plagues pet owners is the annoyance of replacing soiled pads. Offensive odors from the soiled pads may permeate the household. Owners need to flush the feces down a toilet or place in a sealed container to decrease the odor. Dogs, especially puppies, when stressed sometimes develop the undesirable habit of coprophagia, eating of feces. If the dog develops the habit, the dog owner needs to pick up fecal matter quickly to break the habit. Disposing of the fecal matter and the pads is not only a continual annoyance, but also causes dog owners to bend down multiple times a day, often bothering the lower back and stressing the knees. This is especially burdensome to the elderly, physically handicapped, and blind who have companion, assistance, or guide dogs.
Previously, simple pet waste disposal systems have been developed. These systems generally rely on the owner to manually remove the waste. Others use special sheets for use with a specific kennel or set into a special frame. Still others have tried developing systems that are similar to toilets by providing surfaces for the dogs to excrete on, which are then reused after rinsing either automatically or manually. Most systems involve frequent owner intervention in the cleanup process.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.